Everyday Training: An Essential Part of Caring For Our Pets

Many pet guardians think that training their dog is only crucial if they have a problem behavior or something that needs to be fixed. Or they believe that training is something only puppies require. However, the reality is that good training is a critical part of providing meaningful care at every stage of an animal’s life. 

Excellent animal care ensures that you provide great welfare and well-being, focusing on four key aspects.

1. Good health (physical and psychological)

2. Excellent nutrition (food and vitamins)

3. A safe and comfortable environment

4. And a thoughtful training and enrichment plan

Each of these pieces supports the others. When training is missing—whether for a dog, cat, horse, bird, or any other animal—a significant part of the puzzle is missing.

Training Is Just Another Word for Teaching

I once had a client say to me, “I get that training is helpful, but I don’t think about training my animals except a few times each year.” I responded to him, saying, “You know, to me, that’s like saying, ‘I know that nutrition is important, but I only think about feeding my animals a few times each year!”

Nobody would ever say that, of course! But not focusing on training, to me, is like not focusing on finding a good vet, not giving nutritious food, or not providing a safe, comfortable home. Training isn’t just about teaching tricks or solving problems; it’s about teaching our pets how to live safely in our human world. We should be teaching them:

• where to find their toys and how to play with them
• how to behave if something scary happens
• what to do if they face something dangerous
• how to keep busy during a boring day, 
• what to do instead of chewing your shoes, digging up your garden, or barking at the neighbors
• how to interact safely with your kids or with other pets in the house

Training helps teach your pet essential skills, reduces stress, and increases their confidence, giving the animals we care about a more fulfilling life.

I am not suggesting that a dog or cat needs to be trained new behaviors every day, but we should always ask ourselves what our pets may be learning each time we pet them, give them a toy, feed them, go for a walk, or do anything else we might do with them. Every interaction we have with our animals has value, and they are learning from us all the time. We want to make sure they are not learning bad habits or unacceptable behavior. If we focus on consciously leaning into that teaching (as few as 3-5 minutes a few times a day), these lessons add up. It doesn’t need to be time-consuming, nor does it need to strain your budget.

Our Responsibility As Animal Trainers

For me, the definition of a trainer goes far beyond someone who teaches an animal a few tricks or someone who fixes problem behaviors. Training is more than teaching puppy skills, helping clients participate in sports, or resolving problem behavior. We are the custodians of behavioral information, and it is our responsibility to share that information with pet guardians. We can help them live better lives with the animals in their homes by aiding with communication, understanding why an animal behaves the way it does, developing alternatives to unwanted behavior, and helping them create better relationships.

Our dogs and cats are always showing us how they feel, whether they are comfortable or not, nervous or relaxed, fearful or content. But most pet guardians don’t have that knowledge; we have to teach it to them.

It is for these reasons and many more that I always remind people that training is not a luxury! Training is an essential and integral part of responsible animal care. With just a little time and attention each day, and when possible, the support of a qualified professional, you can open the door to a lifetime of better communication, stronger relationships, and happier, healthier pets. 

Happy Training,

Ken